


Together

by waywardriot



Series: Soriku Week 2018 [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Drabble, M/M, SoRiku Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 10:10:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16931319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardriot/pseuds/waywardriot
Summary: Sora is Riku's greatest rival and greatest ally.Soriku Week Day 3: Rivalry / In Their Battles





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> this is a super short drabble because i was just really blocked on the prompts. i mushed them together a bit, and it kinda sucks, but i tried!

As rivalry takes hold again, Riku knows things are normal.

When Sora pouts at his loss and it melts into a radiant smile, Riku knows things are good.

Splashing and playing turns into tussling turns into racing.

Riku was always at an advantage with his year on Sora, and he took joy in winning. This never stopped Sora, and he was always biting at Riku’s heels, laughing all the way.

Rivalry doesn’t fade with age; it just transforms. In a twist from the normal, it can become sinister.

Riku wasn’t as strong as he pretended to be. The darkness wound around him, went down his throat and choked him until he couldn’t breathe. It twisted the memories of a simple rivalry into a bitter war.

Riku knew he loved Sora from the day he met him, and his greatest fear was not being needed by Sora anymore. The darkness whispered in his ear and told him that he wasn’t needed—look at how he plays with his new friends, how he gives that radiant smile to them? No, Riku, you’re not special, you’re not important anymore.

Sora getting the Keyblade was too much. Why was he superior now? When had Riku fallen behind? What did he have to do to get it back and win again?

The darkness smiled when Riku got the Keyblade. The light wept when Sora was left behind, alone on the ground. That didn’t stay, though, because Riku couldn’t stay ahead forever; Sora was right behind him, ready to jump ahead.

When their final battle was over, Riku felt gratefulness. He was relying on Sora to pull him out of the darkness—Sora was his constant, the steady spin of the planets; Riku never wanted to doubt him ever again.

As Sora shut the door on him, Riku felt the symbolism. Their rivalry was black and white; now Sora was on the white, and Riku on the black. 

This time, he wasn’t as afraid of the darkness. Sora was on the other side, and he wouldn’t let him go. They would always be reunited.

When they finally found each other after all that time—the many, many empty months full of fear and anger—Riku felt whole. Sora clutching his hand filled the hole inside him, held together his aching heart.

He was ready for the next battle with Sora by his side. Being next to him felt right and energized him in a way he hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. He’d forgotten the effect Sora had on him, the strength and calm Sora’s mere presence caused. Battling back to back gave him faith that they would win and be alright together—and they did.

Getting back to the islands with Sora was the most natural thing in the world; it was where their rivalry began, and this is where it would continue.

When that letter came and Mickey told them that their journey was continuing, Sora and Riku simply smiled at each other. It wasn’t over between them.

The Mark of Mastery exam itself stood as a beacon of their rivalry, until it became a quest to save Sora. Still, Riku came out triumphant in a way he didn’t expect—he had been willing to discard the whole exam for Sora. Even so, Sora was that shining beacon, never angry that he wasn’t on top. He was ecstatic for Riku, and Riku felt happy, yet guilty; happy for what he had achieved, happy that he had Sora by his side, and guilty for every time he hurt Sora in his quest to be on top, while Sora never faltered.

Riku knew Sora would reach him one day because he deserved it more than anyone else.

And Riku will be there, waiting for him at the top, to keep pushing forward together.


End file.
